I was two-and-a-half when my parents packed our few possessions and moved from a kibbutz on the banks of the Sea of Galilee to the promised land of New Jersey - where my father, a nuclear physicist...
We are at an incredibly exciting moment in the movement for marriage equality for same-sex couples in the United States. Since the beginning of 2013, we have seen the United States Supreme Court...
Each Rosh HaShanah, the Akedah ("The Binding of Isaac"), Abraham's near sacrifice of his son Isaac at God's behest, highlights for us the impenetrable paradox of affirming a good, omnipotent God...
Yearly, as a high school guidance director and president of the Jewish interest group of the National Association for College Admission Counseling, I visit colleges throughout the U.S. to see how...
To say that Judaism has been a constant feature in my life is an understatement. I spent eight hours a day in a Jewish day school from kindergarten through graduation, and went to temple every...
Rabbi Lawrence A. Hoffman, Barbara and Stephen Friedman Professor of Liturgy, Worship, and Ritual at HUC-JIR, edited We Have Sinned: Sin and Confession in Judaism-Ashamnu and Al Chet (Jewish Lights...
I believed that eating less and less would help repair the world. But depriving ourselves of food keeps us from realizing our full potential—and almost cost me my life.
There is mounting evidence that "religion" and "science" are not adversaries but potential allies which, working together, can improve our lives and our world.
As my recovery continues, I often reflect on how I managed to find the strength--the resilience--to rebuild my life. I believe the answer lies in three interventions, each informed by Judaism:...
Interview with Alvin Kushner, regional chairman of the Cape Town Progressive Jewish Congregation, vice chairman of the South African Union for Progressive Judaism, chairman of the SA Jewish...
Stéphane Beder, president of the Federation of French-Speaking Liberal Jews, talks about what it's like to be a Jew in France today and shares tips on the best sightseeing and dining in Paris.
When I’m songleading at the URJ’s Henry S. Jacobs Camp in Utica, Mississippi, my speech impediment is not evident. But when I’m not in the spotlight, like Moses, it’s difficult for me to get the...
Miriam Hopper: Jewish tradition teaches us that the body is sacred. There would have to be a good reason for me to alter the body I was given. Missy Goldstein: I think of myself as so much more...
Ask me who my hero was while I was in kindergarten and I would have said my teacher, Mrs. Green, because she was kind and wore funky sweaters. In fourth grade, it would have been a toss-up between...
God is always asking us to serve. In the Torah portion Tzav (Hebrew for “command”), God offers deliberate and precise instructions, too. When God directs the priests, Aaron and his sons, to bring...
In a bitter and ironic twist of history, some rabbis have surrendered two hard-won victories of more than a century ago: the right to a free pulpit and to speak publicly in favor of Israel and...
I entered college on the eve of the SlutWalk revolution. A 12-year-old girl had been repeatedly assaulted in Texas, and the newspaper reporting on it cited a possible motive: she was wearing makeup...
In search of a unique Hanukkah gift for the social justice hero in your life? Look no further than this guide for all your gift-giving needs - with an emphasis on tikkun olam, the repair of our broken world.
Reform Zionism is a continuation of the early Zionist dream to foster a living, breathing national culture that represents the highest ideals of Jewish peoplehood.